Happy Birthday Lefty Frizzell

Remembering honky tonk legend Lefty Frizzell on his day with a couple of classic television clips. 

Watch Jon Spencer Blues Explosion's positively parasitic Rock Box video

 Tales of Old New York: The Rock Box is off JSBX's Freedom Tower album available on green wax right here.

Ron Sexsmith's Carousel One out Tuesday

You can order a 180 gram vinyl version of Carousel One right here after hearing "Getaway Car" below.

Happy Birthday Johnny Dowd!

Do yourself a favour and check out Johnny Dowd's new album That's Your Wife on the Back of My Horse.

One For The Weekend: The Sonics

Here's a supernatural performance from The Sonics who are playing Lee's Palace with Catl on April 26.

LIDS 7-inch Release Party @ Double Double Land, Saturday

Check out Scott Cudmore's clip for "Sarsfest" by LIDS feat. Alex Edkins, Brian Borcherdt & Doug MacGregor.

Happy Birthday Rufus Thomas!

Watch the late Memphis music icon Rufus Thomas tear it up at the 1972 Watts Summer Festival (below). 

The Muffs w/ Public Animal & The Fairmounts @ The Horseshoe, Saturday

Here's a classic mid-90s clip for The Muffs' Oh Nina. 

Violent World of Bad Breed comes to The Velvet Underground Thursday

After a few years recovering from the effects of the Killer Elite, malevolent microphone ripper Mike Gribben is back with an equally badass soul-punk combo, Bad Breed. This time our man is trading screams with SPHINXS' fearsome frontwoman Siânteuse Siantist backed by the wicked wallop of bassist Ben Boles, keyboardist/percussionist Mark Hundevad and two other dudes who prefer to be known as Ox and Coco for reasons known only to their next of kin.

The group's hard-pummeling debut The Violent World of Bad Breed (Lizard Snake Records), enhanced by the brass blast of the Devil's Horns (aka Christopher Butcher, Bryden Baird, William Carn and Richard Underhill), revels in the paranoid psych scree of Betty Davis-era Miles and the bumpin' freakishness of Free Your Mind-period Funkadelic with a fist full of Goblin-esque grime slopped on for good measure. Yep, it's a keeper. Check it out on itunes or stream it on Spotify.

As for the LP itself, the gruesome grey swirl 180 gram vinyl comes housed in a skull-tastic sleeve painted by Deb Inglis in the style of a 70s Spanish/Mexican horror flick poster. If you can't pick up the album when Bad Breed plays the Velvet Underground (510 Queen West) on Thursday (March 26), copies of the record will be available at Parkdale Platters (1614 Queen West) starting Sunday (March 29).

Happy Birthday Carol Kaye!

Cheers to session ace Carol Kaye on her 80th birthday! Yep, Carol played on many of your fave records.

Tyvek w/Teenanger, Das Rad @ Cinecycle, April 9th

Here's a 39-min performance by Detroit's Tyvek followed by Teenanger's Twisted clip.

Watch the Tarantino-esque video for the Budos Band's Magus Mountain

Magus Mountain is off the Budos Band's new album Burnt Offering out now on Daptone Records.

Happy Birthday Dave Pike!

Here's a vintage Dave Pike performance clip from 1970 with a little Noisy Silence and some Soul Eggs on the side.

Hey Loretta's Spring Fling @ Cadillac Lounge, Saturday

Swing into Spring with The Rizdales' Tara & Tom Dunphy playing honky tonk from 4 to 7pm.

Conway Twitty Tribute @ Cadillac Lounge, Sunday

Scotty Campbell will be joining the Country Sunday All-Stars for a few Conway faves on Sunday afternoon.

Don't miss the 38th Annual Martian Awareness Ball @ The Horseshoe, tonight

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Marcus & Mary Margaret O'Hara and a few of their martian pals at the 'Shoe.

Happy Birthday Fred Neil

Remembering the influential singer/songwriter with one of his many gems. 

Steeltown's Diana Panton takes Vocal Jazz Album award at Junos in Hamilton... finally!

After 4 nominations, the stellar jazz vocalist received a Juno for her Red album and was asked about her dress.

Happy Pi Day!

Celebrating the ultimate Pi Day 3-14-15 at 1:59 am with Simon Singh discussing some Simpsons' math secrets. 

Happy Birthday Candi Staton!

Celebrating the 75th birthday of Southern soul great Candi Staton with two typically dazzling performances. 

One For The Weekend: Björk

Check out the surreal new Inez & Vinoodh video for Björk's lionsong off her Vulnicura album. 

Catl takes the scenic route to SXSW

Catl will be rockin' joints in D-Town, Cinci and Memphis on the way to Austin for at least four SXSW gigs. 

Happy Birthday Nick Saloman!

Celebrating Nick's birthday with a stellar Bevis Frond performance of Splendid Isolation from 1991.

MF Doom reissues controversial KMD recording for Record Store Day

MF Doom aka Zev Love X (above) is reissuing KMD's Black Bastards album on April 18th. 

The controversial sophomore album Black Bastards (Bl_ck B_st_rds) from MF Doom's first group KMD is being reissued by Doom's own Metalface Records imprint for Record Store Day 2015 in the format of a children’s pop-up book.

This includes two CDs – the original album and second disc of bonus material – and a 7" picture disc of “What A Nigga Know” housed in the back cover featuring the group’s iconic “sambo” mascot.

In the deeper digging follow-up to Brian Coleman's Check The Technique hip-hop guide – Check the Technique Vol. 2: More Liner Notes For Hip-Hop Junkies (Wax Facts Press) – the author writes extensively about KMD's second album and it’s critical role in shaping the MF Doom persona of the rapper then known as Zev Love X.

“There are few releases in hip-hop history with as much mystery behind them as KMD’s second full-length, Black Bastards. The album, whose cover boldly depicted a cartoon ‘Sambo’ being hanged, didn’t even receive the insult of being shelved or pushed back by Elektra Records upon its completion in 1994. Instead, it was outright refused, with very little above-board explanation as to the reason, or even much of an apology, as they ushered the group’s leader out the door.”

This being a Record Store Day release, Black Bastards will be available on April 18th at participating record stores throughout the U.S. and Canada and online at rappcats.com. The vinyl release of Black Bastards will follow.

Alex Pangman @ The Jazz Bistro, tonight

T.O.'s fab Alex Pangman sings two sets with Peter Hill, Drew Jurecka and Glen Anderson at 8pm and 9:30pm.

Happy Birthday Roy Brooks!

Remembering intense drummer Roy Brooks with a couple of classics featuring Woody Shaw and Cecil McBee.

Don Costa vs. Guitar Gable

Arranger Don Costa used his Muvva "Guitar" Hubbard alias for a swingin' cover of Guitar Gable's Congo Mombo.

Col. Tom Parker & The American Pour @ Dakota Tavern, Saturday

Toronto's Col. Tom Parker and his honky tonk heroes will keep the Dakota's floor filled from 10pm on. 

Happy Birthday Charles Tolliver!

Celebrating the birthday of jazz trumpeter Charles Tolliver with two cookers and a rare Music Inc clip.

See Moon Duo w/ Crosss @ Silver Dollar tonight

This recent KEXP performance should give you an idea of what to expect from Sanae & Ripley. 

Happy Birthday Eddy Grant!

Cheers to Eddy Grant on his day. Here are two of his party rockers you may have missed.

Deke Dickerson vs Porter Wagoner

Check out Deke Dickerson's version of Porter Wagoner's 1964 honky tonk classic I'll Go Down Swinging.

Happy Birthday Don Rendell

Celebrating the birthday of British jazz great Don Rendell with a vintage live clip & 2 overlooked classics. 

Maniac welcomes you to Party City

The Demimonde LP from Maniac (Zache Davis, Andrew Zappin, James Carman & Justin Maurer) is out now. 

LINKS
site Maniac
label La-Ti-Da Records

Dead Meadow's "Peel Sessions" resurfaces

A raw and heavy Dead Meadow performance for the BBC's Peel Sessions along with one previously unreleased song and two alternate versions of Dead Meadow classics cleverly titled "Peel Sessions" has just been reissued by Tekeli-Li Records  (and Cardinal Fuzz in Europe) in a limited edition on black vinyl and black & white swirl vinyl. Since the 2012 release on Prune Pendant Records now goes for three figures, Dead Meadow fans might want to grab this significantly cheaper alternative.

Recorded in 2000 at Fugazi’s recording space in Arlington, VA, this Dead Meadow recording notably marks the first time a Peel Session was taped outside the BBC studios. The 8-song album features the six tracks from the March 9, 2001 program, plus a demo of White Worm and an acoustic version Golden Cloud. Tracked out during the same period as 2001’s Howls From the Hills, the new release places a more energetic twist on Drifting Down Streams and Dusty Nothing as can be heard below. Act fast, the small pressing will likely sell out quick.

Massey-Harris @ The Local, tonight

Check out Scott Bradshaw, Gord Cumming and the whole Massey-Harris crew perform Aquamarine Blue.

OK, who told Seth Avett about Elliott Smith?

Seth Avett & Jessica Lea Mayfield's 12-song salute to Elliott Smith is out March 17. Pre-order it here.